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A scene of a badger and a leopard cat, which usually live alone, walking together has been captured, drawing attention.

The badger and the leopard cat walking together. [Image source=Ministry of Environment·Yonhap News]

A family of leopard cats crossing a puddle. [Image source=Ministry of Environment·Yonhap News]

On the 27th, the Korea National Park Service under the Ministry of Environment released images of endangered wildlife captured by unmanned cameras installed throughout national parks from May to August.

According to the report, rare footage of a badger and a leopard cat walking together was recorded in Jirisan in May and August this year. The badger, belonging to the family Mustelidae, is an omnivorous top predator that eats earthworms, beetle larvae, snakes, and plant roots.

On the other hand, the leopard cat is a mammal belonging to the family Felidae in the order Carnivora. It was first designated as an endangered wild animal and protected wild animal in 1998 and is currently classified and managed as a second-class endangered wild species. Since badgers and leopard cats usually live solitary lives, it is rare to see these two different species living together in the wild.

Oso-ri (Reference Photo) [Image Source=Pixabay]

In July, a family of leopard cats was also captured moving through a densely vegetated wetland in Gyeongju. The cubs showed curiosity about a puddle before following their mother. Leopard cats were once widely distributed nationwide, but their population declined due to secondary poisoning caused by eating rats poisoned during the rat extermination campaign in the 1960s.

Additionally, various wildlife such as flying squirrels, martens, fairy pittas, and goshawks were observed in Naejangsan, Mudeungsan, Byeonsan Peninsula, Sobaeksan, and Wolchulsan.

A flying squirrel bending down under the tree. [Image source=Ministry of Environment·Yonhap News]

Fairy pitta searching for food. [Image source=Ministry of Environment·Yonhap News]

Mother Hazel Grouse watching over her chicks. [Image source=Ministry of Environment·Yonhap News]

Song Hyung-geun, director of the Korea National Park Service, said, "The footage captured this time is valuable data obtained during the endangered species survey," adding, "We will strive to understand the ecological habits of various wildlife and preserve their habitats."

Meanwhile, 41% of domestic species and 68% of endangered wild species inhabit the national parks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.